Jericho

Absolutely love JERICHO and all the cast, it's like seeing a TV-series out of the Michael Powell movie PEEPING TOM, the crumminess of Soho in the 1950's, the grungy NIGHT AND THE CITY bars and clubs. This is a gripping show, with tons of depth and so many great back stories and characters I watch the episodes again and again just to enjoy the details. I'd never seen Robert Lindsay before this, and he IS the role. I love the way he moves--he's a blast to watch. So many movies and movie-genres have slid downhill in the last decades---but television series are now serious cinema art, and JERICHO is a super example of the detail and emotion an audience deserves. 1950's noir, British noir as it was meant to be!

Mystery! has done it again with this series, which is quite different than most of what's gone before. And that helps to make this one another hit.

I'm a long-time fan of the Mystery! series and a particular fan of Inspector Morse. Anyone familiar with that series knows the high quality product that long-running series consistently put out. So I'm not an easy audience, given my perspective.

But Robert Lindsay has made DI Michael Jericho his own. He IS Jericho. In the same way that the late great John Thaw made Morse his own character, Lindsay has grabbed Jericho by the throat and taken his identity from him. I haven't read any of the books so I don't know how the character comes across there, but Lindsay's interpretation is "spot on" from a television perspective.

I'm currently in the midst of re-watching the first episode on DVD (thanks for that) after having caught at least 2 of the original airings last Fall (Ragged Claws and Johnny Swan). I was hooked from the start; and like Morse, Jericho holds up well on repeated re-watchings. So even after you know who done it, you're nevertheless caught up in the drama.

The musical score and overall style of this series do indeed make it unique. It's all a bit "X-Files-esq," but I find both quite enjoyable and fitting, and, in my humble opinion, they help make the series stand out.

Like Morse, Jericho has a solid side-kick who compliments his character perfectly. It seems they have an endless supply of fine "character actors" over there in the UK, and I'm thankful I get to see them when I can. Even the "bit parts" get solid treatment from fine British actors. One of my favs in the first episode is Shorty. He's a hoot -- and he's not even around all that long.

Lindsay is currently also on my TV in his "My Family" series, but I refuse to watch him in that. I'm sure he's good (and I have seen some of it) but I don't want to lose that Jericho edge that I'm currently working on with him.

I've given this series a 10, which is not to say it's an equal to Morse. But 10 to me means it's a standout with little or nothing to criticize. Beyond that, it's simply a matter of taste. I only hope they keep this series going for quite a long time.

Thanks Gawd for Mystery! and all the rest of the great Brit shows. And, of course, also PBS. And thanks Gawd also for DVD so's I can have something to watch (and re-watch) when the mood moves me and PBS is into something else less enjoyable to me. Because if I had to live with only American TV, I'd give the medium up completely.

Jericho's name alludes to THE classic Scotland Yard detective, Gideon. Gideon's Way was the best cop show on British television before the Sweeney. The main reason was the excellent writing and the great characters. Jericho picks these high standards up and develops them further by giving the series a dark touch. Also in terms of cinematography Jericho looks more like neo-noir than TV. So all in all it's a very classy production. Robert Lindsay proves to be not only one of the best actors of his generation but in the UK. He does high brow and entertainment with the same ease and elegance. After about 10 minutes you don't evcen remember that there ever was a series called My family. His Jericho is dark and brooding. The other great performance in this series comes from Peter Bowles. We know him as suave man about town from many TV productions but here he gives the performance of a life time as dark, menacing crime lord. Perfect!

In my home, we are long time "Mystery" and "Masterpiece Theater" fans. And, I absolutely loved Robert Lindsay in all of the "Hornblower" series.

My only beef with "Jericho"--which we are currently viewing in the States, now--is that the program format seems too choppy, too breakneck and--dare I say it?--too "Americanized" in its filming style.

For example, some of the traditional blisses of watching British television over American television are the LACK OF: overly-numerous, screechy, noisy car chases/crashes/explosions; characters emoting choppy, stale love/hate dialogues about as spontaneous and mature as Saturday night in dead bar, and the endless "bedhopping" on American television shows that seems to come (no pun intended) into play every ten minutes. On British television, intimate relations do appear to occur because they are ESSENTIAL to a plot; and when they do happen, British television is surprisingly honest in hiding nothing and revealing everything (Good Show, I Say!).

These having been stated, one of the joys of watching "Foyle's War," for example, is the almost subconsciously-leisured pace of each mystery. Even when explosions do occur, Inspector Foyle takes his own time to ruminate upon all of the evidence, the suspects and the motives for the crime. If Inspector Foyle has to visit London, nothing changes--he continues his proved thought-processes, even while the city's activities roil around him. And, he takes you along for the ride...at a good digestive pace.

However, I do understand that Inspector Jericho is a "high-energy" character. Like Inspector Foyle, he has very little supervisory support, very little time--and probably funding--for his constabulatory efforts, and he appears to be in an uphill battle to continually prove his investigatory worth to the outside world. In personality, he certainly is very extroverted...not an Inspector Foyle, at all. Hence, the rush-around pace of things on the show.

Fine. Almost...

But, as we "Mystery" fans know, even extrovert/introverts like Hercule Poirot, or Sherlock Holmes, never abandoned that "thought process" link with their viewers, in exchange for overly-clipped scenes and a high speed chase--even when our heroes were forced to really "hoof it" through London streets. There was always time for the viewer to ABSORB the facts and ENJOY the absorption: to soak up conflicting character reactions; taste the atmosphere of a crime scene and ponder any family crises/relationships that might wreak effect upon "the criminal act." In short, television viewers were allowed the luxury of thought with time.

That's the problem with "Jericho." The plot is sound, the atmosphere--what I have time to see and feel of it--is very accurate for the period that it's depicting and--yes--the empathy is there to care about Inspector Jericho, both publicly and privately. But, that's about all that there is time for. Main characters and supporting characters are not allowed the time to really SHOW their emotional and physical depths. So, by the time the program's over, you feel like you rode 300 miles with Michael Schumacher at a steady 395 miles per hour.

Which brings me to a final plea: if there are writers and producers of British television reading this, you do not have to Americanize/"short attention span" my British programming; if I liked the former, I wouldn't bother watching the latter. I know all of the Aaron Spellings of America would disagree with me, but that's why I don't watch their shows in my own country! If traditionally-paced British television wasn't my sort of style, I wouldn't be pleading and critiquing with this letter! That having been said, if you were forced to speed through the production of a program because of a deadline, or lack of funding...well that's out of everyone's control, isn't it? Just ask Inspector Jericho.

Robert Lindsay is one of the best actors of his generation. For those who don't know his work or are only familiar with the safe BBC comedy "My Family"; have a look at "Oliver Twist", "A Very Social Secretary", "Citizen Smith" or his multi-award winning performance as Michael Murray in "GBH". Then you'll realise how good he is.

Jericho is another in a long list of brilliant performances from Lindsay, who makes the whole production sparkle into life. Here he is supported by David Troughton, another remarkably talented actor at the peak of his profession.

The production values are high; the story-telling intriguing. It's not the best TV drama ever made but it is far above average. Watch it yourself and enjoy the fine acting.